ABSTRACT
By presenting national, regional and local institutional perspectives and using a variety of sources, this study has revealed the diversity and complexity of the way residential care for older people in England and Japan has evolved. It has identified that the root of the problem of residential care in both countries is their Poor Law legacy and cultural norms, specifically the stigma associated with the English workhouse and obasuteyama in Japan. This final chapter reviews the findings for each country in a cross-national and comparative context at the national, regional and grassroots institution levels. The analysis highlights commonalities and differences, continuities and change, and achievements and failings, while acknowledging the different national contexts. These are also considered in relation to current policy trends and debates, along with the implications for professionals and for further research.
